There’s a tangible air of spirituality in the Utilita Arena this evening, almost as if this is the second coming itself. Not quite – but thousands of fans have made the pilgrimage to Cardiff to witness the return of the Jared Leto-led alternative rock behemoth 30 Seconds To Mars live. Who, as it turns out, have quite the show to put on.
With the arrival of the band imminent, a clock appears, counting down from 100 and stopping at, yes, 30, before an eruption of confetti and pyro welcomes the band to the fold, Leto stepping out in a black cape of sorts. Backed by an assortment of pentagrams and various other signage lighting up the T-shaped stage, Kings And Queens is played through, giving the crowd an opportunity to holler those whoa-ohs back at the actor-turned-singer.
Walk On Water allows 30 Seconds To Mars’ guitarist – just a touring member of the band, I’m pretty sure, but one who deserves his moment in the spotlight – to take centre stage on with a lovely guitar solo. Audience participation is very much encouraged tonight, too: one lucky punter, along with both his Welsh flag and his mother, is invited up on stage, prior to a rousing rendition of Hurricane, which gets the entire arena singing. After a brief pause, Jared re-emerges with a flamethrower which concurrently shoots fire and confetti over the crowd without incident, as the band belt out This Is War. Impressive.
Another short pause allows Jared to recount time spent in Cardiff in 1995, before a small costume change now sees him donning robes and a cowboy hat. A faithful cover of Stay, by Rhianna, is given the applause it deserves; for City Of Angels, phone torches are encouraged to sway along to the music, all while an impressive backdrop of lights, symbols, crosses and pentagrams are in constant rotation. Did you say subliminal messaging?
There’s more fun to be had when Night Of The Hunter is rolled out and the crowd are given an array of objects – balloons, rubber ducks – to amuse themselves with, before an encore that seemed to last an eternity. Shannon Leto, 30 Seconds To Mars drummer and brother of Jared, offers sweets to the front row, while the frontman’s final change of clothes finds him wearing what look decidedly like pyjamas. Comprising an unholy trinity of Stuck, The Kill and Closer To The Edge, some 50 fans are invited onstage to see the show out.
At times you get the feeling of being recruited to some sort of sect, but there’s no denying that Jared Leto is a magnetic and supremely talented performer. If 30 Seconds To Mars are a cult, then sign me up.
30 Seconds To Mars, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 10 June
words CHRIS ANDREWS photos BEN BRADDICK
